The New Zealand National Party leadership election, was held in 1936 to select the inaugural leader of the newly founded

New Zealand National Party The New Zealand National Party ( mi, Rōpū Nāhinara o Aotearoa), shortened to National () or the Nats, is a centre-right political party in New Zealand. It is one of two major parties that dominate contemporary New Zealand politics, alongside ...

. The election was won by MP Adam Hamilton.

Background

The National Party was only recently set up by the defeated remnants of the Reform and United parties. Over the issue of leadership the two parties leaders Gordon Coates and George Forbes were known to personally detest one another, and neither would serve under the other's leadership threatening to divide the budding party. This led to alternative figures to be turned to in order to find a leader, however Coates (who was reluctant to the merger to begin with) was determined that the leader should be a Reform MP.

Candidates

Adam Hamilton

First elected in 1919, Hamilton had served as the

Minister of Internal Affairs Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

and Postmaster-General in the United-Reform Coalition government which governed during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. In what some called an act of

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, Coates and a group of Reform MPs went as far as to threaten to leave the new National Party and re-establish the old Reform Party unless Hamilton was chosen as leader.

Charles Wilkinson

Wilkinson was the MP for from a 1912 by-election to 1919 when he retired before returning in 1928. It was well known that Forbes was known to prefer Wilkinson and was of the opinion that as a new party National should have a new leader free from association of the coalition government of which Wilkinson was not a member.

Result

The election was conducted through a members' ballot by National's parliamentary caucus. The following table gives the ballot results:

Aftermath

Hamilton was essentially chosen as a compromise candidate. Whilst honest, dependable and experienced, lacked the charisma needed for leadership and was too closely linked with the government during the depression by the public. He was never able to properly establish himself as leader, being seen by many as a mere lieutenant of Coates, his former leader. Wilkinson remained an MP until he retired in 1943. He never joined the National Party, however as he habitually voted with them, National did not run a candidate against him in 1938.

Notes

References

* {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2017 National Party leadership

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

New Zealand National Party leadership election